John Barleycorn

FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT JOHN BARLEYCORN - PAGE 2

There are few things as sad as a good saloon shuttered and for months we`ve been walking by what once was the Roxy at 1505 W. Fullerton-the windows so dusty there was no point in trying to peer in-wondering when and if it would be reborn. That happens Thursday, when the place reopens as Hog Head McDunna's, a "classic Chicago saloon with a `90s twist," say owners John Mendoza and Joe Salemme. Mendoza is the former manager of that great, venerable saloon-restaurant John Barleycorn and he and Salemme are history buffs.

By Adrienne Murrill. ADRIENNE MURRILL IS A METROMIX SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR | October 25, 2006

Looking for a preternatural party? Get into the spirits--or beer, if that's your poison--at one of these weekend bashes. Halloween Throw-down PARK WEST, 322 W. ARMITAGE AVE. 773-929-1322 Can't decide whether you want to be a sexy pharmacist or a sexy racecar driver? There should be plenty of girls in those get-ups at this Park West bash; try going as a concept costume like, uh, static cling. Whatever you wear, everyone should be in the Halloween spirit with an open bar from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., DJs spinning all night and costume contests.

The man was so upset that his voice quivered a bit. "My name is John, and I'm really sick and tired of people referring to a bathroom as me. You did it today." That was true. In a column about advertising in washrooms at the United Center, I referred to them as "the john." The caller named John angrily continued: "Why didn't you refer to the washrooms as a mike? Then you'd see how people named John feel." I would have if mike were used that way. But it isn't. "Then why don't you say it's wrong to call a washroom a john and that people named John are being insulted?"

By Karen Budell. Karen Budell is the metromix nightlife producer. Terri Mooney contributed to this story | June 13, 2005

High temps and humidity have us sweating--but so does the anticipation of a crop of new concept-driven bars and clubs. A few spots are already open, and many more are just days and weeks away from serving their first brews. Get the scoop now and plan ahead for a steamy summer. Ollies Bar & Grill 433 W. Diversey Pkwy. 773-868-6200 Looking for a place to watch the game? Or simply watch anything? This neighborhood bar and grill, now open, gives a whole new meaning to TV dinner.

What exactly is a mint julep? It's a cocktail made up of mint, water, sugar and bourbon. It seems as though grasping a bottle of beer would be more conducive to cheering on your favorite horse during the Kentucky Derby than a glass of this concoction. The spillage factor must be dreadful. But a tradition is a tradition. If traveling down to Louisville isn't in the cards, head out to John Barleycorn to watch the race with other revelers. There will be a best-hat contest for ladies wearing a fancy creation on their noggin — yet another tradition.

Well that was fast. The video of an altercation involving unofficial Cubs mascot Billy Cub appeared Tuesday on Comedy Central's “Tosh.0” just weeks after it was uploaded to YouTube. In the viral video, Billy Cub punches a bar patron who yanked off the head of his bear costume at John Barleycorn in Wrigleyville. “Not cool,” said “Tosh.0” host Daniel Tosh. “Taking his mask off means he has to actually watch the Cubs play.” If you're upset about that joke, then you probably shouldn't watch the video below and should stop reading.

The auction kicked off Saturday with a Chicago Bears helmet autographed by wide receiver Devin Hester, and the bids rolled in on top of one another until Sam Sanchez walked away with the prize for $750. But Karen Pettry saw her family as the winner. Overwhelmed at the crowd of about 400 people who had shown up at John Barleycorn in Wrigleyville to support her and her three children, Pettry walked over to Sanchez in tears and thanked the pub's owner. "All of these people who don't even know me," Pettry said later.

By 2009, when the shine of VH1's popular reality series "Hogan Knows Best" had worn off, it appeared as if star Nick Hogan , son of World Wrestling Federation icon Hulk Hogan, would follow in his bandanna-wearing father's footsteps and pursue a career in professional wrestling. Hogan had the name (though he was born Nick Bollea) and the teachers (he was getting trained by wrestlers Rikishi and Gangrel). The problem? He kept dislocating his left shoulder, according to the 22-year-old Hogan.

Fans of bombastic, synthesized tunes with just enough heart to show you the living, breathing human behind the knobs will find kindred spirits among the members of New York-based Glint . The quintet strikes an interesting balance between the excesses of Muse and the slyness of David Bowie. Lead vocalist and primary songwriter Jase Blankfort and drummer Mateus Tebaldi first started collaborating in 2003 and brought bassist Dave Johnsen and keyboardist Alon Leventon on board in 2008.

Geno Bahena's restaurant empire is growing. The owner of Ixcapuzalco in Logan Square will open Chilpancingo and Generoso's Bar & Grill, two side-by-side concepts, at 358 W. Ontario St. (the old Butcher Shop Steakhouse space). Chilpancingo will be an upscale regional Mexican, Generoso's (Bahena's full first name) the casual neighbor, in an arrangement similar to Frontera Grill and Topolobampo, where Bahena worked for 12 years. The opening, scheduled for late August or early September, will make Bahena the undisputed king of unpronounceable Chicago restaurants.